Danielle's plans for the future were pretty easy to figure out... until she failed senior English and her single college application was denied. Suddenly she's in hot water with very few options, because honestly who applies to a safety school when their mom is a semi-famous "college psychic"?!

Determined to get her life back on track, Danielle enrolls in her hometown community college with a plan: pass her English class and get back into Ohio State and her mother's good graces. Romance isn't on her radar... until she reconnects with her childhood crush and golden-boy-next-door, Luke.

Between family drama, first love and finding her own way, Danielle can't help but feel a little overwhelmed. Thankfully she has her friendship with the snarky and frustratingly attractive Porter, her coworker at the campus bookstore, to push her to experience new things and help keep her afloat.

One thing's for sure: This time, failure's not an option.

Danielle had big plans to go to Ohio state, she even had the toilet cover seat! When she fails her senior English class Ohio State revokes her acceptance. Danielle doesn’t have a plan b until she decides to make up the class at community college. She gets a job at a bookstore where she meets the smirking Porter. She gets back in touch with childhood crush Luke who happens to be Porter’s roommate. Perhaps going to community college won’t be so bad after all.

In ” an Oyster Shell – The narrative is a bit dry and hard to get into at first, it ends really well.

The Pearls – I just love the title. The Big F it is so ominous. It reminded me of the Scarlett Letter. The cover with the big F on it helped to add to that reminder. The cover, title, and description is what drew me into this book. I am glad that I read it.

The romance was not typical. Danielle ends up with her childhood crush Luke. His roommate and her co-worker seem to be a better boyfriend to her even though they are not dating. It’s not really a love triangle which is nice. It is just a juxtaposition of two guys that Danielle happens to be interacting with.

Danielle was an okay heroine. She didn’t jump off the pages for me. Her best friend Zoe, however, was really fun and stole the show. She was vibrant and the greatest best friend a girl could ask for. Zoe really jazzed up the narrative.

The Sand – The narrative was a little dull. It wasn’t exciting so it took me a while to get through it. I do like how it ended.

3.5 Pearls

About Maggie Ann Martin

Maggie Ann Martin hails from Iowa City, Iowa but moonlights as a New Yorker. She has a shiny new BA in English and Journalism from the University of Iowa, the most welcoming literary community in the world. When she is not writing, you can find her binge watching TV shows or passionately fangirling over fictional characters on the Internet. The Big F is her debut novel.